Why Jackson County won’t charge people who signed anti-gerrymander petition twice
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jackson County will not prosecute residents who signed the repeal petition twice.
- Prosecutor cited contradictory state guidance after Hoskins and AG actions.
- Campaign needs about 107,000 signatures by Dec. 11 to force a statewide vote.
Jackson County will not pursue charges against people who signed a petition to repeal Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map twice, pointing to confusing messaging from state officials.
Prosecutor Melesa Johnson made the announcement in a new release on Thursday, saying some residents may have signed the petition twice due to “contradictory guidance” from state officials about when signatures would be considered valid.
The announcement came roughly a week after Missouri Republican officials deployed a pair of maneuvers to stifle the campaign. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins claimed that signatures gathered before his office’s Oct. 15 approval were not valid, while Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a federal lawsuit to block the campaign.
Both efforts took aim at a referendum campaign, called People Not Politicians, that seeks to strike down the state’s congressional map. The new map splits Kansas City into three Republican-leaning districts under pressure from the Trump administration.
Johnson on Thursday said signing a petition twice is “technically a misdemeanor criminal offense.” However, she made clear that state officials cannot restrict a referendum petition by refusing to count signatures early in the process, pointing to a Missouri Supreme Court ruling.
“The people of Jackson County who want to sign this petition are trapped in a confusing situation,” Johnson said. “People may have signed again after October 15 because of mixed messaging, not because they were trying to break the law.”
Hoskins last week attempted to cast doubt on the validity of roughly 100,00 signatures gathered by the campaign. The campaign needs roughly 107,000 by December to force a statewide vote on the map in 2026.
The campaign has flatly called Hoskins’ claim false and a spokesperson on Thursday emphasized that residents who have already signed the petition do not need to sign it again.
Spokesperson Elsa Rainey added that it was “unAmerican” to prosecute people for petitioning their government and had not heard of anyone ever being prosecuted for signing a petition twice. She also sharply criticized Hoskins for confusing voters.
“The only reason there is confusion is because Secretary of State Hoskins deliberately made unlawful claims about the petition process in a recent press release,” Rainey said. “We appreciate Prosecutor Johnson for acknowledging the irresponsibility of these claims made by Secretary Hoskins and other elected officials.”
A spokesperson for Hoskins did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
The core of the dispute centers on Missouri’s congressional districts. Six of the state’s eight districts are currently represented by Republicans, while Democrats hold two — one in Kansas City and the other in St. Louis.
Republican state lawmakers voted to gerrymander the map this summer to allow a Republican to pick up another seat. The move came under pressure from President Donald Trump, who urged GOP states to redraw their maps so Republicans can maintain control of Congress.
The new map takes direct aim at Kansas City and longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. It carves the city’s voters into three Republican-leaning districts, effectively diluting their political power.
People Not Politicians launched the referendum campaign shortly after lawmakers approved the map and began collecting signatures to force it to a statewide vote.
Referendum campaigns, which are outlined in the Missouri Constitution, allow voters to challenge most bills passed by state lawmakers.
Campaigners have until Dec. 11 to collect enough signatures — equal to 5% of voters in a majority of congressional districts — to force a statewide vote.
